I was looking up the word “Palindrome” today and found this interesting word “Palinode: a poem in which a poet retracts something said in an earlier poem, a recantation.”
I don’t consider Sarah Palin a poet, but some might consider her a “salt-of-the-earth, bless-her-heart” type of plain-speaking poet… whatever. To me she sound’s like the head cheerleader in high school that mocked the smart people and had all her crowd backing her up on whatever mean thing came out of her mouth – but that’s a whole other subject. Back to Palinodes…
Here’s a bit I read online today that perfectly illustrates a “Palinode”:
Mrs. Palin’s campaign rhetoric is all about who’s more American than others - that Barack Obama is different and not like the rest of us Americans… over and over again she sings the same campaign poem…
CNN: You’ve talked about America. And certain parts of America, that are maybe more American than other parts of American, Are there?
Palin: Ehhh, I don’t want that misunderstood. No, I do not want that misunderstood. You know, when I go to these rallies and we see the patriotism just shining through these people’s faces and the Vietnam veterans wearing their hats so proudly and they have tears in their eyes as we sing our national anthem and it is so inspiring and I say that this is true America, you get it, you understand how important it is that in the next four years we have a leader who will fight for you. I certainly don’t want that interpreted as one area being more patriotic or more American than another. If that’s the way it’s come across, I apologize.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/21/palin.sitroom.transcript/index.html
I like John McCain’s palinode about the American economy when he first said “The fundamentals of the American economy are strong” – and then the economy tanked and his new poem was that he meant that the American workers were strong, the best workers in the world. [Read here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/15/mccain_fundamentals_of_economy.html]
And this brings me to why Palindrome (a word or phrase that reads the same forwards and backwards, like “otto”) is such an interesting word when it comes to the McCain campaign.
First they go one direction, and then they go the other, and they hope everyone will read whatever they want- whichever way they read it… as in: We’ll reduce the size of government and create greater federal oversight on the financial markets…
It’s not a big stretch to go from Palindrome to Palindrones – the strange people that have come out of the woodwork to flock to Sarah Palin’s rallies… more later on the Palindrones (Are Americans really that racist and stupid? I sure hope not…)
Again, back to Palinode – I’m sure you have your own favorite Palinode – Post your favorite Palinode in the comment section below…
Bonus Points: If you can find a Palindrome, and a Palinode and also the Palindrones in one news article I’ll come up with some special prize…
And now, from the UFO and Conspiracy Department:
Another way to read this could be the way some people read Nostradamus or the Bible codes, and say that Webster’s Dictionary (Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary. 1994 p. 1039) prophesied Sarah Palin’s rise to power – think it’s funny? Go look up the word “Palingenesis” and and think about it… What other mysteries lay inside that great book of wisdom? Inquiring Palindrones want to know…
What a strange world…
Note: Yes, I’m in a really bad mood and should be nicer and more loving…
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